Cajuns Football 2026 Game Times Are Set. Here’s When to Watch.

(LAFAYETTE, La) - The Sun Belt Conference and ESPN dropped kickoff times Wednesday for the first chunk of the 2026 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football schedule, and there's a lot to get excited about. Lafayette gets two home night games to open the year, and the Cajuns are making their first-ever trip to Los Angeles to face USC. Here's a full breakdown of everything announced so far.

Herbert Heymann Classic: Louisiana vs. Lamar, September 5

The Cajuns open the season at home under the lights at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium against Lamar in the annual Herbert Heymann Classic. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and will be available to watch on ESPN+ if you can't make it to the stadium. It's a great way to kick off the season opener.

Louisiana at USC, September 12

This one is a first in program history. The Cajuns head to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to face USC for the very first time. Kickoff is 8 p.m. Pacific, which means a 10 p.m. CT start for fans watching from home. USC is coming off a loss to TCU in the Alamo Bowl, and ended the season ranked 20th in the AP Poll. The game will air on the Big Ten Network. Not going to lie, this is going to be a Big challenge for the Cajuns early in the season.

Louisiana vs. UAB, September 19

The Cajuns are back home two weeks later to host American Conference member UAB. Another 7 p.m. kickoff at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium, also on ESPN+. Two home night games in the first three weeks of the season means Cajun Field is going to be loud early in 2026.

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Louisiana at ULM, Thursday Night, November 12

The Battle of Louisiana gets a primetime slot this year. The rivalry is real between the Cajuns and ULM, and this year Louisiana is heading north into battle. The Cajuns travel to Monroe for an 8 p.m. Thursday night kickoff on ESPN or ESPN2. Circle that one on the calendar now. If you're heading up for the game, unfortunately the Buc-ee's in development won't be ready until at least April of 2027.

Sun Belt Championship Game, December 4

The 2026 Sun Belt Conference Championship Game is set for Friday, December 4 at 6 p.m. on ESPN. The game will be hosted by the divisional champion with the best overall conference record. If the Cajuns take care of business in the West, Lourdes Stadium could be hosting a conference title game. Currently, oddsmakers have JMU, Louisiana, Marshall and Old Dominion leading the pack but only time will tell as the season progresses.

Read More: Cajuns 2026 Signing Class

Kickoff times and television designations for the remaining games on the schedule will be announced 12 days before each game date. You can always listen to the Cajuns on the flagship stations for Ragin Cajuns football, 103.3 The Goat and Hot 107.9.